As of Thursday, September 18, there have been 1,500 cases of the illness identified in Manitoba, 293 of which are still active. To date, 1,191 people in the province have recovered from COVID-19 and 16 have died.
Even if the COVID-19 numbers are very encouraging locally, and at least reasonably stable provincially, they still continue to grow at a frightening level just south of the 49th parallel.
Throughout the pandemic, North Dakota has suffered from numbers way out of whack with its population. Compared to Manitoba, there is about half the number of people living in the state, yet their cases dwarf our own. Over the past five days North Dakota reported a whopping 1,422 new cases. On September 16, they had 269 cases, with five deaths. On September 17 they had 394 cases. Their fatality total is at 180.
Minot State University also had an outbreak, with a total of 89 cases, with 38 recovered, while 305 people are currently being monitored.
Sources have indicated the closure of the Canadian border to non-essential travel will continue until November.

by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff